Spotlight: Approvals for renewable projects double in 2025 while increased defence spending leaves UK infrastructure underfunded and construction dips to lowest level since the financial crisis

ENERGY

📰UK renewables break records, but electricity demand is growing | Air Quality

📰UK planning approvals for renewable projects doubled last year in light of regulatory changes | New Civil Engineer (paywall)

📰Battery storage drives record year for UK renewables planning approvals | pv Magazine

📰Power grid jobs boom as UK energy shifts away from fossil fuels| Financial Times (paywall)

📰Scottish subsea link gets approval for capacity increase | Offshore Energy

📰New delay for huge UK offshore wind farm project | Upstream

🗣Smarter siting for a strained system: Factors shaping the UK’s energy sector in 2026 | Chris Wilton, Utlities Lead at Ordnance Survey

‍

INFRASTRUCTURE

📰Will sustainable data centres power the future? | Financial Times

📰Bank of England awards £180m digital transformation contract | Data Centre Dynamic

📰Government urged to formally recognise natural capital as 'critical UK infrastructure' | Business Green

📰Kier announces new infrastructure division and key appointments | pbc Today

📰UK defence spending pledges could leave £2tn unfunded infrastructure programmes by 2040 | New Civil Engineer (paywall)

📰Defence spending widens UK infrastructure funding gap | Trending Now Infrastructure

‍

DEVELOPMENT

📰Experienced regeneration leader appointed to key role at Homes England as agency embarks on pivotal year of delivery for local communities | Press release from Homes England

📰Housing approvals drop in final quarter of 2025 | LocalGov

📰UK construction hit by worst run since global financial crisis | the Guardian

📰UK housebuilding slumps to lowest level since Covid lockdowns | Business Matters

📰Ministers may cut green tech mandate from new homes regulations in England | The Guardian